CN110647247B

CN110647247B - Multi-mode scroll wheel for input device

Info

Publication number: CN110647247B
Application number: CN201910560652.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 帕德里克·麦克洛克林; 阿诺·佩雷特-真蒂莱; 努诺·米格尔·佩雷拉·多斯·安霍斯·瓦尔韦德; 贾恩·斯特克兰; 拉尔斯·劳里森; 让-克劳德·迪南
Original assignee: Logitech Europe SA
Current assignee: Logitech Europe SA
Priority date: 2018-06-27
Filing date: 2019-06-26
Publication date: 2023-08-01
Anticipated expiration: 2039-06-26
Also published as: US20200004352A1; CN116909417A; CN110647247A; DE102019117336A1; US10996770B2; US11656694B2; US20210357041A1

Abstract

The application discloses a multi-mode scroll wheel for an input device. A computer peripheral interface device (e.g., a computer mouse) is disclosed that includes a wheel member configured to rotate about an axis in a plurality of modes, wherein each mode of the plurality of modes corresponds to a respective unique friction force profile. The plurality of modes of operation include a flywheel mode and at least two additional modes. The at least two additional modes include two or more different ratchet modes, two or more different constant friction modes, or at least one constant friction mode and at least one ratchet mode. The interface device further includes an actuator assembly configured to set the wheel member to each of a plurality of modes of operation.

Description

Multi-mode scroll wheel for input device

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/690,591 entitled "Electromagnetic Mode Change of Peripheral Interface Wheel" filed on 27 at 2018, 6, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

Technical Field

The technology disclosed herein relates generally to computer peripheral interface devices, and more particularly to user-manipulable multi-mode input devices for computing systems.

Background

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

The physical computer peripheral interface device may include any auxiliary device that can be used to interface humans and computing devices, such as a computer. Some examples of peripheral devices include keyboards, mice, joysticks, image scanners, speakers, microphones, web cameras, and the like. Some of these physical computer peripheral interface devices may include wheel input elements that a user may manipulate to interface with a computing device. For example, a computer mouse may include a scroll wheel that may be used to translate a viewing window of an image or document displayed by a computing device by rotating the scroll wheel about an axis. In many applications, more precise scrolling of the scroll wheel and more flexible and sensitive manipulation will enable a user to interact with the computing device more precisely and more conveniently to improve the user experience of the computing device and software applications such as image or video editing and game programs and applications.

Disclosure of Invention

A computer peripheral interface device is disclosed that includes a wheel member configured to rotate about an axis in any combination of a plurality of modes, such as a flywheel mode, one or more ratchet modes, and one or more friction modes. Each of the plurality of modes may correspond to one or more friction force profiles. Multiple modes may be selected manually or automatically for a particular user application. In some embodiments, the plurality of modes may be selected by one or more mechanical, electrical, electromechanical, or electromagnetic actuators. Various inventive embodiments are described herein, including devices, systems, methods, non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing programs, code, or instructions executable by one or more processors, and the like.

According to some embodiments, a computer mouse may include: a displacement sensor configured to detect movement of the computer mouse relative to the work surface; a roller configured to rotate about an axis in a plurality of modes of operation; an actuator assembly configured to set the scroll wheel to each of a plurality of modes of operation; and a friction force applying assembly including a first member and a second member. The plurality of modes of operation may include a flywheel mode, a constant friction mode, and a ratchet mode. The roller can be configured to receive a respective unique friction force profile for each of a plurality of operating modes. The first member of the friction applying assembly may be coupled to or included in the roller. The second member of the friction force applying assembly may be coupled to or included in the actuator assembly, and the second member of the friction force applying assembly may be configured to: for each of the plurality of modes of operation, a respective unique friction force profile is mechanically or electromagnetically applied.

According to some embodiments, the interface device may include: a displacement sensor configured to detect movement of the interface device relative to the work surface; a wheel member configurable to rotate about an axis in a plurality of modes of operation; and an actuator assembly configured to set the wheel member to each of a plurality of modes of operation. Each mode of operation may be associated with a respective unique friction force profile. The plurality of modes of operation may include a flywheel mode and at least two additional modes, wherein the at least two additional modes may include two or more different ratchet modes, two or more different constant friction modes, or at least one constant friction mode and at least one ratchet mode. In some embodiments, the actuator assembly may include a direct current motor, a servo motor, a stepper motor, a solenoid, a voice coil motor, or a linear motor.

In some embodiments of the interface device, the wheel member may be configured to: in flywheel mode, decelerates at a rate of less than 500rpm per second. In some embodiments, in flywheel mode, the wheel member may lose less than 30% of the total rotational energy per second. In some embodiments, the wheel member may be configured to: a braking torque of less than 0.05 millinewton meters is received in flywheel mode.

In some embodiments, the friction force applying assembly may apply a constant friction force to the wheel member in each of the two or more constant friction modes or at least one constant friction mode. In the flywheel mode, the friction force application assembly may not apply friction force to the wheel member. In each of the two or more ratchet modes or at least one ratchet mode, the respective unique friction force profile may comprise a plurality of periodic segments. In some embodiments, the plurality of periodic segments may include 50 or more periodic segments. In some embodiments, the corresponding unique friction profile in any ratchet pattern may include a triangle wave, a parabola, a sine wave, a square wave, an ascending ramp, or a descending ramp.

In some embodiments, the wheel member may include a cavity, the sidewall of the cavity including two or more regions arranged along an axial direction of the wheel member. A first region of the two or more regions may include a plurality of teeth and a second region of the two or more regions may include a circularly curved planar surface. The actuator assembly may include a bracket and two arms coupled to the bracket, wherein: the carriage may be configured to move in a radial direction of the wheel member; a first arm of the two arms may be configured to: contacting the first region when the carriage is in the first position; the second of the two arms may be configured to: contacting the second region when the carriage is in the second position; the first and second arms may be out of contact with the first and second regions, respectively, when the carriage is in the third position. In some embodiments, each of the two arms may be coupled to the bracket by a spring. In some embodiments, the second arm may include a friction pad for contacting the second region, wherein the friction pad may include a solid friction material. In some embodiments, the first arm may include a contact ball for contacting the first region.

In some embodiments, the wheel member may include a plurality of annular regions on a side surface of the wheel member, wherein the plurality of annular regions may be arranged in a radial direction of the wheel member. A first region of the plurality of annular regions may include a plurality of teeth. A second region of the plurality of annular regions may have a planar surface. The actuator assembly may include: a slider configured to move in a radial direction of the wheel member; and a contact ball coupled to the slider through a spring. The contact ball may be configured to: the first region is contacted when the slider is in a first position aligned with the first region. The contact ball may be configured to: the second region is contacted when the slider is in a second position aligned with the second region. In some embodiments, a third region of the plurality of annular regions may have a lower surface than the planar surface of the second region, and the contact ball may be configured to: when the slider is in a third position aligned with the third region, it is separated from the third region.

In some embodiments, the wheel member may include a plurality of contact areas. The actuator assembly may include: a barrel cam including a cutout region; a follower that navigates in the incision tract; and an arm coupled to the follower. As the barrel cam rotates, the arm may contact different contact areas of the plurality of contact areas. In some embodiments, the wheel member may comprise a ferromagnetic component and the actuator assembly may comprise an electro-permanent magnet.

In some embodiments of the interface device, the wheel member may comprise a cavity, wherein a sidewall of the cavity may comprise a plurality of teeth. The shaft may be coupled to the friction gear by a layer of viscous material at an interface between the shaft and the friction gear. The actuator assembly may include a rotatable arm, wherein the rotatable arm may include a contact head and a locking tooth. The contact head may be configured to: the contact contacts the sidewall when the rotatable arm is in the first position. The locking tooth may be configured to: when the rotatable arm is in the second position, the locking tooth engages and locks the friction gear. The contact and locking tooth may be configured to: when the rotatable arm is in the third position, the contact head and the locking tooth are separated from the sidewall and the friction gear, respectively. In some embodiments, the layer of viscous material may include damping grease.

In some embodiments of the interface device, the shaft may be coupled to the friction gear at an interface between the shaft and the friction gear by a layer of adhesive material. The actuator assembly may include a slider including a lock. The lock may be configured to: when the slider is in the first position, the lock engages and locks the friction gear to set the wheel member in a constant friction mode. The lock may also be configured to: when the slider is in the second position, the lock is disengaged from the friction gear such that the friction gear may rotate with the wheel member in the freewheel mode.

Drawings

Various aspects and features of the various embodiments will become more apparent by describing the examples with reference to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts or portions throughout the drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a system utilizing an input device in accordance with certain embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of an example of a system for operating an input device, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates a system for implementing certain features of the peripheral input devices disclosed herein, in accordance with certain embodiments.

FIG. 4A illustrates an example friction force distribution of a flywheel mode of an input device according to some embodiments.

FIG. 4B illustrates an example friction force profile of a friction mode of an input device according to some embodiments.

FIG. 4C illustrates an example friction force profile for a ratchet mode of an input device according to some embodiments.

FIG. 5A illustrates the number of ratchet teeth in an example ratchet mode of an input device according to some embodiments.

Fig. 5B illustrates a range of friction torque in an example ratchet mode of an input device according to some embodiments.

FIG. 5C illustrates various ratchet mode friction profiles of an input device according to some embodiments.

FIG. 6A illustrates an example of a multi-mode input device operating in a flywheel mode, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 6B illustrates an example of a multi-mode input device operating in a ratchet mode, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 6C illustrates an example of a multi-mode input device operating in a friction mode, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of an example of a multi-mode input device, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 8 illustrates an actuator assembly for switching modes of operation of a multi-mode input device, in accordance with certain embodiments.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a multi-mode input device operating in a ratchet mode, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a multi-mode input device operating in a friction mode, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an example multi-mode input device including a linear actuator for mode switching, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of an example multi-mode input device including a linear actuator for mode switching, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of an example multi-mode input device including a linear actuator for mode switching, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a cross section of an example multi-mode input device including a linear actuator for mode switching, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 15 illustrates an example multi-mode input device including a barrel cam actuator for mode switching, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 16 illustrates another example multi-mode input device including a barrel cam actuator for mode switching, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 17 illustrates an example of a multi-mode input device using wet friction, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 18 illustrates another example of a multi-mode input device using wet friction, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 19 is a simplified flowchart illustrating an example of a content adaptation method for operating a multi-mode input device, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 20 is a graph showing test results for twelve roller samples operating in flywheel mode, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 21 is a graph showing the percent rotational energy loss per second as a function of rotational speed for some roller samples operating in flywheel mode, according to some embodiments.

Detailed Description

The technology disclosed herein relates generally to computer peripheral interface devices, and more particularly to user-manipulable multi-mode input devices for computing systems. In many computing systems, it is desirable to have a compactly designed input device that can operate in two or more different modes of operation for different user applications and performance requirements and that includes a mechanism for accurately and robustly switching between the two or more modes of operation to improve the user experience of the input device and/or to increase the productivity of the input device. In one embodiment, a computer peripheral interface device may include a wheel member (e.g., a roller) configured to rotate about an axis in any combination of a plurality of modes of operation, such as a flywheel mode, one or more ratchet modes, and one or more friction modes. Each of the plurality of modes of operation may correspond to one or more friction force profiles. Multiple modes may be selected manually or automatically for a particular user application. In various embodiments, the plurality of modes of operation may be selected or switched by one or more mechanical, electrical, electromechanical, or electromagnetic actuators. Different mechanisms are disclosed herein that may be used to change the friction force profile applied to the wheel of a peripheral input device. Each mechanism may provide different power usage, noise, user feel and touch, and actuation time characteristics.

In some embodiments, the wheel member of the computer peripheral interface device may be configured or switched to operate in a ratcheting mode in which the scroll wheel may experience a limited number (e.g., 10 to 100) of relatively high friction periodic segments when rotated in one direction. In some embodiments, each periodic section may be associated with the same friction profile, which may include different levels of friction settings. In some embodimentsIn this way, different periodic sections may be associated with different friction profiles. The friction force profile may include, for example, triangular waves, parabolic waves, sinusoidal waves, square waves, linear ramps, and the like. Different sections can be used to provide the desired informationA number of available font sizes, etc., from, for example, a number of available brushes. The ratchet mode may also enable the user to have greater control in translating the document, as a single finger movement to rotate the wheel may result in a metered translation of the view. In some embodiments, a user or computer application may selectively activate a friction force profile of a plurality of ratchet mode friction force profiles of a scroll wheel to change the behavior of the scroll wheel in ratchet mode, for example, according to the respective computer application, intended use, or user preference.

In some embodiments, the wheel member of the computer peripheral interface device may be configured or switched to operate in a non-ratcheting mode, such as a flywheel mode or a friction mode. The non-ratchet mode may be used for a simulated setting, which may have a continuous or a large number of settings (e.g., > 100), such as selecting a color from a range of hundreds, thousands, or millions of available colors, scrolling a bar (e.g., scrolling a document over 100 pages), audio volume, etc. For example, in some embodiments, the wheel member of the computer peripheral interface device may be configured or switched to operate in a flywheel mode in which the roller is disengaged from the friction mechanism, and thus may rotate about the shaft in a substantially frictionless state (e.g., torque less than 0.05mNm, deceleration less than 500 rpm/sec, or total rotational energy loss rate less than 30% per second) and a relatively constant coefficient of friction, such that the wheel member may continue to rotate about the shaft at a substantial rate even after the externally applied force is removed. In flywheel mode, a user may quickly translate a view on a document, for example, by a single finger movement to rotate a wheel.

In some embodiments, the wheel member of the computer peripheral interface device may be configured or switched to operate in a friction mode in which the wheel may have a substantially higher constant friction (or resistance) than in a flywheel mode. The friction mode may enable the scroll wheel to replicate the sensation of scrolling on the touch pad. Friction mode may allow for more precise control than flywheel mode. For example, when zooming in or out of a map in flywheel mode, the map may zoom in or out too quickly. In this case, the friction mode may allow a higher level of accuracy. In some embodiments, a mechanism that allows friction (dry friction or wet friction) to be applied to the wheel as it is rotated may be used to create the friction pattern. The dry friction may be achieved, for example, using friction material under force to provide resistance to wheel rotation. For example, damping grease between the stationary and rotating components may be used to provide resistance to rotation to achieve wet friction.

In various embodiments, the wheel member can be configured to operate in a plurality of modes of operation, which can include any combination of a flywheel mode, one or more constant friction modes, and one or more ratchet modes. In some embodiments, the wheel member may only roll in one direction in some modes of operation. For example, if the bottom of the page is reached, the wheel member may be set to an operation mode in which the wheel member can only scroll upward.

In some embodiments, the various modes of operation of the wheel member of the computer peripheral interface device may be manually selected by, for example, an electronic switch (e.g., an electric motor such as a stepper motor, a servo motor, or a DC motor), a mechanical actuator (e.g., a slider mechanism or ratchet), or an electromagnetic actuator (e.g., a solenoid or voice coil motor). In some embodiments, one actuator may be used to select any of a plurality of modes of operation. In some embodiments, two or more actuators may be used in combination to switch between multiple modes. For example, one actuator may be used to switch between ratchet mode and flywheel mode (e.g., using a DC motor), and another actuator may be used to switch between flywheel mode and friction mode.

In some implementations, the mode of operation may be user-specific or application-specific. For example, the configuration or settings of the operating mode may be customized for different users or applications. In some implementations, the mode of operation may be automatically switched by the user application based on, for example, content displayed to the user.

It can be challenging to include more than two different modes of operation (or friction force profiles) of the wheel member in a compact computer peripheral interface device (e.g., a computer mouse, game controller, or virtual reality controller) and to use one actuator to reliably and accurately switch between the more than two modes of operation. Manufacturing such compact computer peripheral interface devices, particularly in large quantities, can be difficult and/or expensive. Furthermore, it may be difficult to design and manufacture an interface device having wheels that can operate in flywheel mode but that do not inadvertently rotate, for example, due to weight imbalance, particularly when the wheels are vertical wheels.

Various embodiments disclosed herein may be used to achieve two or more different modes of operation (or friction profiles) of a wheel member in a compact design, and may include a mechanism for accurately and robustly switching between the two or more modes of operation (or friction profiles), thus, may significantly improve the user experience of and/or increase the productivity of the computer peripheral interface device.

Although certain embodiments are described herein, these embodiments are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection. The devices and systems described herein may be embodied in various other forms. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form of the example methods and systems described herein may be made without departing from the scope of protection.

Fig. 1 illustrates an example of a system 100 utilizing user-manipulable elements (e.g., a scroll wheel 160) on an input device 130 (e.g., a computer mouse) in accordance with some embodiments. The system 100 may include a computer 110, a display 120, an input device 130, and another input device (e.g., a keyboard 140). The keyboard 140 may also include user-manipulable elements (e.g., knobs 150). As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, for the system 100, the input device 130 and the keyboard 140 may be configured to control aspects of the computer 110 and the display 120. The computer 110 may be referred to as a "host computer" or "host computing device.

The computer 110 may include a machine-readable medium (not shown) configured to store computer code, such as driver software or firmware, etc., wherein the computer code is executable by a processor of the computer 110 to control the input device 130 and/or the keyboard 140 through the computer 110 or to control the computer 110 through the input device 130 and/or the keyboard 140. The various embodiments described herein generally refer to input device 130 as a computer mouse or similar input device. For example, the input device 130 may be a computer mouse including a displacement sensor configured to detect movement of the input device 130 on a work surface, such as a desktop, to control movement of a pointer or the like on the display 120. The displacement sensor may include an optical sensor, a mechanical sensor, an opto-mechanical sensor, and the like. However, it should be understood that the input device 130 may be any input/output (I/O) device, user interface device, control device, input unit, etc. Thus, the techniques disclosed herein may be used in other devices such as virtual reality controllers, knobs, joysticks, throttle valve controllers, and the like.

Throughout this disclosure, the user-manipulable element is generally described as a scroll wheel. However, it should be appreciated that any suitable user-manipulable element may be used, such as a button, knob, trackball, joystick, slider, or the like, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art.

In the description of some implementations, system 100 is commonly referred to as a desktop or laptop computing device. However, it should be appreciated that the system 100 may be any suitable computing device, further including a tablet computer, a smart phone, a virtual reality or augmented reality interface (e.g., with a 2D or 3D display), a holographic interface, a controller for an instrument, and the like. Many alterations, modifications and alternative embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art.

Fig. 2 illustrates a system 200 for operating an input device (e.g., input device 130) in accordance with certain embodiments. The system 200 may include a processor(s) 210, a memory 220, a power management system 230, a communication system 240, and an input detection module 250. Each of the system blocks 220-250 may be in electrical communication with the processor(s) 210 (e.g., via a bus system). The system 200 may also include additional functional blocks that are not shown or discussed to prevent obscuring the novel features described herein. The system blocks 220 to 250 may be implemented as separate modules or alternatively more than one system block may be implemented in a single module. In the context described herein, the input device may be a mouse with a scroll wheel, such as the input device 130 with scroll wheel 160 described above with reference to fig. 1.

In some implementations, the processor(s) 210 may include one or more microprocessors and may be configured to control the operation of the system 200. Alternatively, as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the processor(s) 210 may include one or more Microcontrollers (MCUs), digital Signal Processors (DSPs), etc. with supporting hardware and/or firmware (e.g., memory, programmable I/O, etc.). Processor(s) 210 may control some or all aspects of the operation of input device 130 (e.g., system blocks 220-250). Alternatively or additionally, some of the system blocks 220-250 may include additional dedicated processors that may work with the processor(s) 210. Many alterations, modifications and alternative embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art.

The memory 220 may be configured to store information related to one or more operating configurations of the input device 130. As discussed further below, one or more operating configurations of the input device 130 may include setting performance characteristics of the scroll wheel 160, including, but not limited to: rotational resistance of the scroll wheel, rotational input resolution of the scroll wheel (e.g., rotational sensitivity), setting a ratcheting or non-ratcheting operating mode to the scroll wheel based on properties of the editable parameters, a function of the depressible scroll wheel, sensitivity of one or more touch sensors on the scroll wheel 160, functions associated with multiple detected touches on the scroll wheel 160 (via the touch sensors), their respective positions, and the like.

In addition, the memory 220 may store one or more software programs to be executed by the processor (e.g., in the processor(s) 210). It should be appreciated that "software" may refer to a sequence of instructions that, when executed by a processing unit(s) (e.g., processor, processing device, etc.), cause system 200 to perform certain operations of a software program. The instructions may be stored as firmware residing in Read Only Memory (ROM) and/or as an application stored in a media memory, which may be read into memory for processing by a processing device. The software may be implemented as a single program or as a collection of separate programs, and may be stored in non-volatile memory and copied, in whole or in part, into volatile working memory during program execution.

The power management system 230 may be configured to manage power distribution, recharging, power efficiency, etc. of the input device 130. In some implementations, the power management system 230 may include a battery (not shown), a USB-based recharging system for the battery (not shown), and a power management device (e.g., a low-dropout voltage regulator—not shown). In some implementations, the functionality provided by the power management system 230 may be incorporated into the processor(s) 210. The power source may be a replaceable battery, a rechargeable energy storage device (e.g., supercapacitor, lithium polymer battery, niMH, niCd), or a wired power source. The recharging system may be an additional cable (dedicated for recharging purposes) or the recharging system may also use a USB connection to recharge the battery.

According to some embodiments, the communication system 240 may be configured to provide wireless communication with the computer 110 or other devices and/or peripherals. The communication system 240 may be configured to provide Radio Frequency (RF),Infrared (IR),Or other suitable communication technology to communicate with other computing devices and/or peripheral devices. The system 200 may optionally include a hardwired connection to the computer 110. For example, the input device 130 may be configured to receive a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable to enable two-way electronic communication with the computer 110 or other external device. Some embodiments may utilize different types of cable or connection protocol standards to establish hardwired communications with other entities.

The input detection module 250 may control the detection of user interactions with input elements on the input device 130. For example, the input detection module 250 may detect user inputs on the scroll wheel 160, pressing various buttons of the input device 130 or other suitable input elements or devices such as media control buttons, touch sensors (e.g., a touch pad), and the like. In some implementations, the input detection module 250 may work in conjunction with the memory 220 to detect inputs on the input device 130 and associate various functions with each input element (e.g., the scroll wheel 160).

As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, although some systems may not be explicitly discussed, they should be considered part of system 200. For example, system 200 may include a bus system to transfer power and/or data to and from different systems therein.

It should be understood that system 200 is illustrative and that variations and modifications are possible. The system 200 may have other capabilities not specifically described herein. Furthermore, while system 200 is described with reference to particular blocks, it should be understood that these blocks are defined for ease of description and are not intended to imply a particular physical arrangement of the component parts. Furthermore, the blocks need not correspond to physically distinct components. The blocks may be configured to perform various operations, for example by programming a processor or providing suitable control circuitry, and may or may not be reconfigurable depending on how the initial configuration is obtained.

Embodiments of the invention may be implemented in a variety of devices including electronic devices implemented using any combination of circuitry and software. Further, aspects and/or portions of system 200 may be combined with or operated by other subsystems according to design requirements. For example, the input detection module 250 and/or the memory 220 may operate within the processor(s) 210 rather than as separate entities. In addition, the inventive concepts described herein may also be applied to knobs, keypads, or other similar input devices. For example, aspects of system 200 may be applicable to knob 150. Further, the system 200 may be applicable to any of the input devices described in the embodiments herein, whether explicitly, with reference to ground, or by default (e.g., those of ordinary skill in the art already know that applicable to a particular input device). The foregoing embodiments are not intended to be limiting and those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure will appreciate the myriad of applications and possibilities.

FIG. 3 illustrates a system 300 for implementing certain features of the peripheral input devices disclosed herein, in accordance with certain embodiments. The system 300 may be used to implement any of the host computing devices discussed herein as well as any of the various embodiments described herein or within the scope of the present disclosure, but not necessarily explicitly described. The system 300 may include one or more processors 302, which one or more processors 302 may communicate with a plurality of peripheral devices (e.g., input devices) via a bus subsystem 304. These peripheral devices may include a storage subsystem 306 (including a memory subsystem 308 and a file storage subsystem 310), a user interface input device 314, a user interface output device 316, and a network interface subsystem 312. The user interface input device 314 may be any of the input device types described herein (e.g., keyboard, computer mouse, remote control, etc.). As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the user interface output device 316 may be any type of display including a computer monitor, a display on a handheld device (e.g., a smart phone, a gaming system), and the like. Alternatively or additionally, the display may include a Virtual Reality (VR) display, an augmented reality display, a holographic display, or the like, as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.

In some examples, internal bus subsystem 304 may provide a mechanism for letting the various components and subsystems of computer system 300 communicate with each other as intended. Although internal bus subsystem 304 is shown schematically as a single bus, alternative embodiments of the bus subsystem may use multiple buses. In addition, network interface subsystem 312 may serve as an interface for transferring data between computer system 300 and other computer systems or networks. Embodiments of the network interface subsystem 312 may include a wired interface (e.g., ethernet, CAN, RS232, RS485, etc.) or a wireless interface (e.g.,BLE、/>Wi-Fi, cellular protocol, etc.).

In some cases, user interface input devices 314 may include a computer mouse (e.g., input device 130), a presenter, a pointing device (e.g., mouse, trackball, touch pad, etc.), a touch screen incorporated into a display, an audio input device (e.g., voice recognition system, microphone, etc.), a Human Machine Interface (HMI), and other types of input devices. In general, use of the term "input device" is intended to include all possible types of devices and mechanisms for inputting information into computer system 300. In addition, the user interface output device 316 may include a display subsystem, a printer, or a non-visual display such as an audio output device, or the like. The display subsystem may be any known type of display device. In general, use of the term "output device" is intended to include all possible types of devices and mechanisms for outputting information from computer system 300.

Storage subsystem 306 may include a memory subsystem 308 and a file storage subsystem 310. Memory subsystem 308 and file storage subsystem 310 represent non-transitory computer-readable storage media that may store program code and/or data that provide the functionality of embodiments of the present disclosure. In some implementations, the memory subsystem 308 may include a number of memories, including a main Random Access Memory (RAM) 318 for storing instructions and data during program execution and a Read Only Memory (ROM) 320 that may store fixed instructions. File storage subsystem 310 may provide persistent (i.e., non-volatile) storage for program and data files, and may include magnetic or solid state hard drives, optical drives and associated removable media (e.g., CD-ROMs, DVDs, blu-ray discs, etc.), removable flash-memory-based drives or cards, and/or other types of storage media known in the art.

It should be understood that computer system 300 is illustrative and not intended to limit embodiments of the present disclosure. Many other configurations are possible with more or fewer components than system 300. The various embodiments may also be implemented in a variety of operating environments that may, in some cases, include one or more user computers, computing devices, or processing devices that may be used to operate any of a number of applications. The user or client device may include any of a number of general purpose personal computers such as desktop or laptop computers running standard or non-standard operating systems, as well as cellular devices, wireless devices, and handheld devices running mobile software and capable of supporting a number of networking and messaging protocols. Such a system may also include a number of workstations running any of a variety of commercially available operating systems and other known applications for purposes such as development and database management. These devices may also include other electronic devices such as virtual terminals, thin clients, gaming systems, and other devices capable of communicating over a network.

Most embodiments utilize at least one network familiar to those skilled in the art to support communications using any of a variety of commercially available protocols, such as TCP/IP, UDP, OSI, FTP, UPnP, NFS, CIFS, etc. The network may be, for example, a local area network, a wide area network, a virtual private network, the internet, an intranet, an extranet, a public switched telephone network, an infrared network, a wireless network, and any combination thereof.

In embodiments utilizing web servers, the web servers may run any of a variety of servers or middle tier applications, including HTTP servers, FTP servers, CGI servers, data servers, java servers, and business application servers. The server(s) can also be implemented in any programming language, including but not limited to, for example, by executingC. C# or C++, or any scripting language such as Perl, python, or TCL, or a combination thereof. The server(s) may also include database servers including, but not limited to, commercially available And->And the obtained database server.

Such devices may also include computer readable storage medium readers, communication devices (e.g., modems, network cards (wireless or wired), infrared communication devices, etc.) and working memories as described above. The computer-readable storage medium reader may be connected to or configured to receive non-transitory computer-readable storage media representing remote, local, fixed, and/or removable storage devices as well as storage media for temporarily and/or more permanently containing, storing, transmitting, and retrieving computer-readable information. The system and various devices typically also include a number of software applications, modules, services, or other elements, including an operating system and application programs such as a client application or browser, located within at least one working memory device. It will be appreciated that alternative embodiments may have many variations of the above described embodiments. For example, the specific elements may also be implemented using custom hardware and/or may be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software, e.g., applets), or both. In addition, connections to other computing devices, such as network input/output devices, may be employed.

As described above, a peripheral input device used as an interface between a user and a computing device such as a computer mouse, game controller, or VR controller may include a wheel member as a physical control element. The user may rotate the wheel member to cause a corresponding command to be sent to the computing device. An example of such a wheel member is a scroll wheel, which may be located between left and right buttons on a peripheral input device (e.g., a mouse). The scroll wheel may be used to translate the field of view of the computer display. For example, a user may use a scroll wheel to scroll through a view of a document displayed on a computer screen or zoom in or out on an image or 3D object.

In many applications, more precise scrolling of scroll wheels and more general and sensitive manipulation may enable a user to interact with a computing device more precisely and more conveniently to improve the user experience with computing devices and software applications such as image or video editing and gaming. To provide flexibility, accuracy and convenience, multiple modes of operation may be required that can be switched manually or automatically, wherein different modes of operation may be used to provide different friction levels or friction profiles, which may then be converted to different commands for a particular user application.

According to some embodiments, a computer peripheral interface device may include a wheel member configured to rotate about an axis in any combination of a plurality of modes, such as a flywheel mode, one or more ratchet modes, and one or more friction modes, which may be manually or automatically selected for a particular user application. Each of the plurality of modes may correspond to one or more friction force profiles.

Fig. 4A illustrates an example friction force profile 410 of a flywheel mode of a scroll wheel 405 on an input device according to some embodiments. In flywheel mode, the roller 405 may rotate quickly and little or no resistance (or friction) may be overcome to rotate the roller 405. Once rotated, the roller 405 may continue to rotate even if no external force is applied to the roller 405. By decoupling the roller 405 from the artificial friction mechanism, the roller 405 may be placed in a flywheel mode such that the roller 405 may rotate about an axis with little or no resistance (or friction).

Fig. 4B illustrates an example friction force profile 420 for a friction pattern of the roller 405, according to some embodiments. In the friction mode, the roller 405 may have a substantially higher constant friction (or resistance) than in the flywheel mode. Friction mode may allow a more accurate experience than flywheel mode. For example, when zooming in or out of a map in flywheel mode, the map may zoom in or out too quickly, while friction mode may allow a higher level of accuracy in this case. In some embodiments, a mechanism that allows dry or wet friction to be applied to the wheel may be used to create the friction pattern. For example, the roller 405 may be set to a friction mode by pressing a component having friction material against another component to provide a desired level of resistance to wheel rotation. The level of resistance or friction may be varied by varying the friction material and/or pressure. In another embodiment, the roller 405 may be set to a friction mode by locking the components to make the components stationary and using damping grease between the stationary components and the roller 405 to provide resistance to rotation.

Fig. 4C illustrates an example friction force profile 430 for a ratchet mode of the roller 405, according to some embodiments. The friction force profile 430 may include a plurality of segments 432, for example, about 10 to about 100 segments. Each section 432 may correspond to a different friction or resistance level. Thus, by rotating the scroll wheel 405, a plurality of discrete settings may be selected. Friction profile 430 may include any desired profile, wherein the friction or resistance level of section 432 may be any combination of friction levels.

FIG. 5A illustrates a number of ratchet teeth in a ratchet mode of an example scroll wheel in an input device according to some embodiments. An example roller may have a number of ratchet teeth (e.g., notches or teeth), such as 24 ratchet teeth. In various embodiments, the roller may have, for example, from about 10 to about 100 ratchet teeth.

Fig. 5B illustrates a range of forces in a ratchet mode of an example scroll wheel in an input device according to some embodiments. As shown, the example roller may provide a torque having an absolute value between about 0.3 millinewton meters (mNm) and about 3.7 millinewton meters. In various embodiments, the roller may provide a torque having an absolute value in the range of about 0 millinewton meters to about 10 millinewton meters.

Fig. 5C illustrates various examples of ratchet mode friction profiles of a scroll wheel in an input device according to some embodiments. For example, the friction force profile of the roller may be the following shape: triangular waves with rising and falling slopes, parabolic, sinusoidal, square, linear slopes, etc. When the roller is rotated, the friction level of the roller may be changed according to the friction distribution.

As described above, it can be challenging to include two or more different modes of operation (or friction force profiles) of the scroll wheel in the input device and to use one actuator to reliably and accurately switch between the two or more modes of operation. According to some embodiments, the cradle structure may be used to enable multiple modes of operation and switching between the multiple modes of operation.

Fig. 6A-6C illustrate an example multi-mode input device 600 including a cradle 602 according to some embodiments. Fig. 6A illustrates a multi-mode input device 600 operating in a flywheel mode, according to some embodiments. The multi-mode input device 600 may include a bracket 602 and two rotatable arms 604 and 610, the rotatable arms 604 and 610 being coupled to the bracket 602 by hinges 606 and 612 or other pivot structures. The rotatable arm 604 may include a friction pad 608, the friction pad 608 including a friction material, such as rubber, metal, or ceramic material. The rotatable arm 610 may include a contact ball 614 that may be partially embedded in the rotatable arm 610. The contact ball 614 may be fixed relative to the rotatable arm 610, or may be rotatable relative to the rotatable arm 610, such as when a tangential force is applied to the contact ball 614. The multi-mode input device 600 may also include two contact members 616 and 618. The contact members 616 and 618 or the bracket 602 may be connected to or may be part of a roller. For example, the contact members 616 and 618 may be portions of the roller, such as different radial portions on the sides of the roller or different axial regions of the roller lumen. The bracket 602 may be moved to different positions to engage with the contact members 616 and 618 or disengage from the contact members 616 and 618. In flywheel mode, the carrier 602 and the two rotatable arms 604 and 610 may be disengaged from the contact members 616 and 618. Since there is no contact between any rotatable arm and any contact member, there is no friction between any rotatable arm and any contact member, such that the roller may not experience additional friction caused by contact between any rotatable arm and any contact member through a friction pad or contact ball.

FIG. 6B illustrates an example multi-mode input device 600 operating in a ratchet mode, according to some embodiments. The multi-mode input device 600 may be set to a ratchet mode by: the carriage 602 is linearly translated to a first predetermined position, for example using a DC motor or a stepper motor, such that the contact balls 614 may contact the contact members 616 and may press the contact members 616 with a certain force. The rotatable arm 610 may rotate about the hinge 612 due to contact and the contact force may be caused by deformation of, for example, a spring connected to the rotatable arm 610 and holding the rotatable arm 610 in place. The contact member 616 may include an uneven surface such that the friction between the contact ball 614 and the contact member 616 may vary at different areas of the contact member 616 according to a predetermined friction force profile as described above.

FIG. 6C illustrates an example multi-mode input device 600 operating in a friction mode, according to some embodiments. The multi-mode input device 600 may be set to a friction mode by: the carriage 602 is linearly translated to a second predetermined position, for example using a DC motor or a stepper motor, such that the friction pad 608 may contact the contact member 618 and press the contact member 618 with a certain force. The rotatable arm 604 may rotate about the hinge 606 due to contact and the contact force may be caused by deformation of, for example, a spring connected to the rotatable arm 604 and holding the rotatable arm 604 in place. The contact member 618 may have a substantially planar surface. Thus, as both the friction pad 608 and the contact member 618 move relative to each other due to rotation of the roller, a substantially constant friction force may exist between the friction pad 608 and the contact member 618. The friction force or torque may be varied by varying the friction material of the friction pad 608 or by varying the force between the friction pad 608 and the contact member 618. In this way, the scroll wheel may be switched to one of three or more modes by linearly and precisely translating the carriage 602 (and thus the rotatable arm) into and out of engagement with the contact member 616 or 618 or from the contact member 616 or 618.

In some embodiments, in the ratchet mode as shown in fig. 6B and/or in the constant friction mode as shown in fig. 6C, the position of the carrier may be fine tuned such that the contact force and thus the friction force may be adjusted.

Fig. 7 illustrates a perspective view of an example of a multi-mode input device 700 including a cradle structure, according to some embodiments. The multi-mode input device 700 may include a scroll wheel 710 and an actuator assembly that may include a motor 720, a cradle 730, and a guide 740. The roller 710 may include a cavity on at least one side. The sidewall of the cavity may comprise a plurality of regions in the axial direction, wherein each region of the plurality of regions may correspond to one mode of operation. For example, the outermost region 712 may be used to provide friction for the ratchet mode (hereinafter referred to as the "ratchet mode region"). The motor 720 may include, for example, a DC motor, a servo motor, a stepper motor, a linear motor, a solenoid (e.g., a tristable solenoid), or a Voice Coil Motor (VCM). The motor 720 may be used to move the bracket 730 along the guide 740. The actuator assembly may also include two rotatable arms connected to the bracket 730 by two hinges 732 and 738. Each rotatable arm is rotatable about a respective hinge. The two rotatable arms may have different lengths and thus may extend to different depths of the cavity.

One of the rotatable arms is rotatable arm 734, which rotatable arm 734 comprises a contact ball 736 partially embedded in rotatable arm 734. The rotatable arm 734 may extend into the cavity at a depth corresponding to the ratcheted pattern area of the side wall. Thus, when the bracket 730 is moved by the motor 720 to the first position along the guide 740 away from the motor 720, the contact balls 736 on the rotatable arm 734 can contact the ratchet pattern areas of the side walls. The ratcheting pattern areas of the side walls may include a predetermined pattern or height distribution to provide different friction forces in different areas. Thus, when the scroll wheel 710 is rotated by the user, the contact ball 736 may contact a different area of the ratcheted mode area, and thus the user and the scroll wheel may experience different amounts of friction. In some embodiments, motor 720 may move bracket 730 along guide 740 away from motor 720 to two or more different positions while maintaining contact (but with different contact forces) between contact ball 736 and the ratchet mode region such that roller 710 may operate in two or more different ratchet modes with different friction profiles.

A second rotatable arm of the two rotatable arms (not shown in fig. 7) may extend into the cavity at a depth corresponding to a region of the sidewall for providing a substantially constant friction force (hereinafter referred to as a "friction mode region"). The second rotatable arm may include a friction pad at the head. When the bracket 730 is moved by the motor 720 toward the motor 720 along the guide 740 to the second position, the friction pad on the second rotatable arm may contact the friction pattern region of the sidewall. The friction pattern area of the sidewall may include a flat surface, wherein all points on the flat surface may be located at equal distances from the axis of the roller 710. Thus, the friction forces between the friction pad and the different areas of the friction pattern area may be substantially equal. Thus, as the roller 710 rotates, there may be a substantially constant friction between the friction pad of the second rotatable arm and a different one of the friction pattern areas.

When the bracket 730 is moved by the motor 720 along the guide 740 to a position between the first and second positions, neither the contact ball 736 of the rotatable arm 734 nor the friction pad of the second rotatable arm is in direct contact with the roller 710. Thus, the roller 710 may operate in a flywheel mode and may experience very low or substantially zero friction. Thus, by linearly translating the carriage 730 by the motor, the roller can be switched between a ratchet mode, a friction mode, and a flywheel mode.

FIG. 8 illustrates various components of an actuator assembly for switching modes of operation of a multi-mode input device 700, according to some embodiments. As shown, the actuator assembly may include a carriage 730, as described above with reference to fig. 7, the carriage 730 may be moved along the guide 740 by a motor. As described above, the two rotatable arms 734 and 830 may be coupled to the bracket 730 by a hinge (or pivot). The rotatable arm 734 may include a contact ball 736 partially embedded within the rotatable arm 734. A first spring 810 may be positioned between the nose 840 of the bracket 730 and the rotatable arm 734 to hold the rotatable arm 734 in place. When the carriage 730 is moved away from the motor to cause contact between the contact ball 736 and the ratchet mode region, the first spring 810 can press the rotatable arm 734 (and thus the contact ball 736) against the ratchet mode region of the side wall of the cavity on the roller 710 to cause different friction levels of the ratchet mode. The magnitude of the frictional force may depend on the strength of the first spring 810 and the position of the bracket 730.

Fig. 8 also shows a second rotatable arm 830 rotatably connected to the bracket 730. A second spring 820 (or the same spring 810) may be positioned between the nose 840 of the bracket 730 and the rotatable arm 830 to hold the rotatable arm 830 in place. Rotatable arm 830 may include a head 832, and head 832 may have a friction pad (not shown in fig. 8) attached. When the carriage 730 is moved toward the motor to cause contact between the friction pad and the friction mode region, the second spring 820 may press the rotatable arm 830 (and thus the friction pad) against the friction mode region of the side wall of the cavity on the roller 710 to cause a substantially constant friction force. The magnitude of the frictional force may depend on the strength of the second spring 820 and the position of the bracket 730.

FIG. 9 illustrates a multi-mode input device 700 operating in a ratchet mode, according to some embodiments. In fig. 9, the bracket 730 may be moved to a leftmost position where the left end 940 or the bracket 730 may contact the left stopper 920 on the body of the multi-mode input device 700 and the left stopper 920 stops. When the carriage 730 is in the leftmost position, the contact ball 736 on the rotatable arm 734 can be compressed by the first spring 810 against a ratchet pattern area on the sidewall of the cavity 950 on the roller 710. Thus, as roller 710 rotates about its axis, contact ball 736 may contact a different area of the ratchet pattern area to provide a desired friction force profile for the ratchet pattern.

FIG. 10 illustrates a multi-mode input device 700 operating in a friction mode, according to some embodiments. In fig. 10, the bracket 730 may be moved to a rightmost position where the right end 942 of the bracket 730 may contact and stop a right stop 930 on the body of the multi-mode input device 700. When the bracket 730 is in the rightmost position, the friction pad 910 on the head 832 of the rotatable arm 830 may be compressed by the second spring 820 against the friction pattern area on the sidewall of the cavity 950 on the roller 710. Thus, as the roller 710 rotates about its axis, the friction pad 910 may contact the friction mode region to provide a substantially constant friction force for friction mode operation. The magnitude of the frictional force may depend on the strength of the second spring 820 and the position of the bracket 730.

In the above embodiments, linear translation of the carriage assembly may be used to achieve a variety of modes of operation and select a desired mode of operation. Different regions of the roller corresponding to different modes of operation may be arranged along the axial direction of the roller. In some other embodiments, different regions of the roller corresponding to different modes of operation may be located on one side of the roller and may be arranged along a radial direction of the roller. Since the radius of the roller may generally be greater than the depth of the cavity on one side of the roller, more modes of operation may be achieved using regions arranged in the radial direction of the roller.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of an example multi-mode input device 1100 using a linear actuator for mode switching, according to some embodiments. The multi-mode input device 1100 may include a scroll wheel 1110 and a support 1120, the support 1120 supporting the scroll wheel 1110 at an axis of the scroll wheel 1110. The roller 1110 may include a plurality of annular regions (annular with different diameters) arranged in a radial direction of the roller 1110, such as one or more ratchet pattern regions 1112, one or more friction pattern regions 1114, and a flywheel region 1116. The multi-mode input device 1100 may also include an actuator assembly that includes one or more sliders 1130. The motor can move the slider 1130 along the guide 1140 to different axial positions of the scroll wheel 1110 to align with different areas on the scroll wheel 1110. For example, the slider 1130 can be moved to positions A, B and C, which positions A, B and C can be aligned with the ratchet mode region 1112, friction mode region 1114, and flywheel region 1116, respectively. An insert 1132 may be coupled to each of the blocks 1130 through an adapter 1134. The insert 1132 may include a contact head (e.g., including a contact ball) that may contact a different one of the multiple regions as the slider 1130 is moved along the guide 1140.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a multi-mode input device 1100 according to some embodiments. Fig. 12 shows that the insert 1132 may include contact balls 1210, with the contact balls 1210 partially embedded in cavities in the insert 1132. When the slider 1130 is moved to a position along the guide 1140 and aligned with one of the annular regions, the contact ball 1210 may contact that region (or be out of contact in the flywheel mode) to provide the desired friction force profile for the operating mode.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a multi-mode input device 1100 according to some embodiments. As shown in fig. 13, the surfaces of the ratchet pattern region 1112, the friction pattern region 1114, and the flywheel region 1116 may have different depths or heights in the axial direction. For example, the surface of the flywheel region 1116 may have a highest depth or a lowest height, so that the contact balls 1210 may not contact the surface of the flywheel region 1116 when the slider 1130 is aligned with the flywheel region 1116. The surface of the ratchet pattern region 1112 may include a predetermined pattern or height distribution, such as teeth having different heights and/or widths at different regions. Thus, as the scroll wheel 1110 rotates, the contact balls 1210 may interact with the teeth at different locations to cause different friction levels. The surface of the friction mode region 1114 may be higher than the surface of the flywheel region 1116 and may be higher or lower than the average height of the surface of the ratchet mode region 1112, depending on the level of friction required in the friction mode.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of a multi-mode input device 1100 according to some embodiments. FIG. 14 shows the insert 1132 coupled to the slider 1130 through an adapter 1134. The adapter 1134 may include a hole that aligns with a cavity on the slider 1130. The spring 1410 may be positioned in the cavity, through a hole in the adapter 1134, and contact the insert 1132 (or the contact ball 1210) to exert a force on the insert 1132 (or the contact ball 1210) such that the contact ball 1210 may contact the surface of the ratchet pattern region 1112. The spring 1410 may also enable the position of the contact ball 1210 in the axial direction of the roller to be changed in response to a change in the height of the surface of the ratchet pattern region 1112 as the roller 1110 rotates.

In some embodiments, a barrel cam may be used to enable switching between multiple modes and different modes of operation of the scroll wheel in a multi-mode input device. The barrel cam or cylindrical cam may comprise a cylinder or hollow cylinder comprising at least one continuous cut-out region in which the follower may navigate and move as the cylinder is rotated by the motor.

Fig. 15 illustrates an example of a multi-mode input device 1500 including a barrel cam actuator for mode switching, according to some embodiments. The multi-mode input device 1500 may include a scroll wheel 1510, an actuator assembly that may include a barrel cam 1520 and an actuator arm 1530, and a support structure 1540 for supporting the scroll wheel 1510 at a shaft 1514 of the scroll wheel 1510. As in the multi-mode input device 700, the scroll wheel 1510 may include a cavity on at least one side. The sidewall of the cavity may comprise a plurality of regions in the axial direction, wherein each region of the plurality of regions may correspond to one mode of operation. For example, the outermost region 1512 may be a ratchet mode region for providing friction for a ratchet mode. The actuator arm 1530 may include a contact head 1532, and the contact head 1532 may include a contact ball 1534. When the barrel cam 1520 is rotated by a motor (not shown in fig. 15), a barrel cam follower connected to the actuator arm 1530 may move the actuator arm 1530 in the axial and/or radial directions of the roller 1510, which in turn may cause the contact ball 1534 to contact different areas on the side wall of the cavity (in ratchet mode or friction mode) or not contact the side wall of the cavity (in flywheel mode). Selecting the mode of operation using the barrel cam may reduce acceleration of the actuator arm 1530 and reduce acoustic noise or vibration. The cut-out areas on the barrel cam may have a desired profile to achieve a desired translational profile of the actuator arm 1530 and lock the follower (and thus the actuator arm) into a particular position. For example, the cut-out region may include one or more notches that may lock the follower in place.

Fig. 16 illustrates another example of a multi-mode input device 1600 that includes a barrel cam actuator for mode switching, according to some embodiments. The multi-mode input device 1600 may include: roller 1610, a support structure 1650 for supporting roller 1610, and an actuator assembly that may include a motor 1620, a barrel cam 1630, and an actuator arm 1640. As in the multi-mode input device 1100, the roller 1610 may include a plurality of annular regions arranged in a radial direction of the roller 1610, such as one or more ratchet mode regions 1612, one or more friction mode regions, and/or a flywheel mode region. The motor 1620 may rotate the barrel cam 1630, which in turn may move the follower 1632 in the axial and/or radial direction of the barrel cam 1630. Movement of the follower 1632 may cause the actuator arm 1640 connected to the follower 1632 to move in the axial direction and/or radial direction of the barrel cam 1630 (and thus in the axial direction and/or radial direction of the roller 1610). As such, the contact head 1642 on the actuator arm 1640 may be moved away from the roller 1610 to place the roller 1610 in the flywheel mode, or may be moved toward the roller 1610 to contact the surface of the area on the roller 1610 to set the roller 1610 into a corresponding ratchet or friction mode. As described above with respect to the barrel cam 1520, the cutout region of the barrel cam 1630 may have a shape designed to cause the desired translational profile of the actuator arm and lock the follower (and thus the actuator arm) into certain positions.

In some of the embodiments described above, the friction force distribution may be achieved by friction forces (referred to as "dry friction forces") between two solid objects or surfaces, for example between a flat or uneven surface and a contact ball or friction pad. Friction between two solid objects may cause at least one of the two solid objects to wear out over a period of time. In some embodiments, as described above, the desired amount of friction may be achieved by using, for example, damping grease between two solid objects, thereby minimizing wear of the solid objects.

FIG. 17 illustrates an example of a multi-mode input device 1700 according to some embodiments. The multi-mode input device 1700 may include a scroll wheel 1710, an actuator arm 1720, and a friction gear 1730. The roller 1710 may include a cavity on at least one side. The side walls 1712 of the cavity may include teeth of different heights and/or widths designed based on the desired friction force profile in the ratchet mode. The actuator arm 1720 may be rotated about the pivot 1722, for example, manually or by a rotary motor (e.g., a DC motor, servo motor, stepper motor, etc.) or an electromechanical actuator (e.g., a solenoid or VCM). In some embodiments where actuator arm 1720 may be manually rotated, a locking mechanism may be used to lock actuator arm 1720 to one of a plurality of positions. The actuator arm 1720 may include a contact head 1724 that extends into a cavity of the roller 1710. Contact 1724 may include a contact ball. When actuator arm 1720 is rotated to the rightmost position, the contact ball may contact side wall 1712, and thus roller 1710 may be switched to ratchet mode. Rotating the roller 1710 may bring the contact ball into contact with different areas of the cavity side wall 1712, which may have teeth of different heights and/or widths, thereby providing different friction for the ratchet pattern.

Friction gear 1730 may include a hole at the center and may be coupled with shaft 1740 of roller 1710 through the hole. The diameter of shaft 1740 may be slightly smaller than the diameter of the hole. A layer of viscous material, such as damping grease, may be applied at the interface between the outer surface of shaft 1740 and the inner surface of the bore in friction gear 1730. When rotation of friction gear 1730 is unrestricted, the viscous material may cause friction gear 1730 to rotate with shaft 1740. Thus, when actuator arm 1720 is rotated to an intermediate position such that the contact ball on contact head 1724 moves away from (and thus does not contact) side wall 1712, roller 1710 can operate in flywheel mode if the rotation of friction gear 1730 is also unrestricted.

As shown in fig. 17, actuator arm 1720 may also include locking teeth 1726. When actuator arm 1720 is rotated to the leftmost position, locking tooth 1726 may engage friction gear 1730 to lock friction gear 1730. Thus, when the roller 1710 is rotated, there may be relative motion (e.g., rotation) between the outer surface of the shaft 1740 and the inner surface of the friction gear 1730 (which is locked into a fixed position), and a viscous material, such as damping grease applied at the interface between the outer surface of the shaft 1740 and the inner surface of the bore of the friction gear 1730, may cause a substantially constant friction force (which may be referred to as "wet friction force") on the shaft 1740 (and thus the roller 1710). Thus, when actuator arm 1720 is rotated to the leftmost position, roller 1710 may be switched to a friction mode.

Fig. 18 illustrates another example of a multi-mode input device 1800, according to some embodiments. As the multi-mode input device 1700, the multi-mode input device 1800 may also use "wet friction" in friction mode. The multi-mode input device 1800 may include a roller 1810 and a housing 1820 surrounding and supporting the roller 1810. As shown, the roller 1810 may include ratchet pattern areas 1812 on a side surface of the roller 1810. Shaft 1850 of roller 1810 may be coupled to friction gear 1860 through a hole in friction gear 1860. The diameter of the shaft 1850 may be slightly smaller than the diameter of the bore. A layer of adhesive material 1852, such as damping grease, may be applied at the interface between the outer surface of shaft 1850 and the inner surface of the bore of friction gear 1860. When the rotation of the friction gear 1860 is not limited, the viscous material may cause the friction gear 1860 to rotate with the shaft 1850. The multi-mode input device 1800 may also include a guide 1830 and a sled 1840, which may be slid along the guide 1830 manually or by an actuator, such as a rotatable motor (e.g., a DC motor, servo motor, stepper motor, etc.) or an electromechanical actuator (e.g., a solenoid or VCM). Slider 1840 may include a lock 1842, and lock 1842 may include one or more teeth that mate with teeth on friction gear 1860.

To set the roller 1810 in the flywheel mode, the slider 1840 may be moved away from the roller 1810 such that the lock 1842 may not engage the friction gear 1860 and limit rotation of the friction gear 1860. At the same time, the contact arm may be removed and separated from the ratchet pattern region 1812. Thus, the roller 1810 may rotate freely with little or no friction.

To set the roller 1810 in the ratchet mode, the contact arm may be moved toward the roller 1810 to contact the ratchet mode region 1812 using a mechanism as described above. For example, in some embodiments, the contact arm may include a contact ball and a spring, as described above, for example, with reference to fig. 14, which may exert a force on the contact ball. The spring may extend or may be compressed by the contact ball. When the roller 1810 is rotated, the contact ball may move relative to the contact arm due to the force applied to the contact ball by the spring and the compressive force applied to the contact ball by the ratchet mode region. The compressive force between the contact ball and the ratchet pattern region, and thus the frictional force applied to the roller 1810, may depend on the surface shape of the ratchet pattern region, which may be designed to achieve a desired friction force profile.

To set roller 1810 in friction mode, slider 1840 may be moved toward roller 1810 such that lock 1842 may engage friction gear 1860 and limit rotation of friction gear 1860. As such, when the roller 1810 is rotated, there may be relative motion (rotation) between the shaft 1850 and the friction gear 1860 (which may be locked in a fixed position by the lock 1842), and viscous material (e.g., damping grease) applied at the interface between the outer surface of the shaft 1850 and the inner surface of the bore of the friction gear 1860 may cause a substantially constant friction force on the shaft 1850 (and thus the roller 1810).

In some embodiments, other techniques may be used to achieve multiple modes of operation by selectively applying different friction force profiles on the roller. For example, as described in U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/690,591 entitled "Electromagnetic Mode Change of Peripheral Interface Wheel," which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes, magnetic force may be used instead of mechanical force to exert a friction force profile on a roller. In one embodiment, the roller may include a ferromagnetic component and the actuator may include an electro-permanent magnet (EPM). The EPM may be controlled to selectively apply varying amounts of magnetic force between the actuator and the scroll wheel.

In some embodiments, the various structures and switching techniques described above may be combined in any reasonable manner to provide a scroll wheel having multiple modes of operation. In addition, the roller can be configured to operate in more than one ratchet mode or more than one friction mode to provide, for example, more than 50, more than 80, or more than 100 ratchet teeth or more than one constant friction level. In various embodiments, switching between different modes of operation may be performed using a motor, such as a DC motor, servo motor, stepper motor, linear motor, solenoid, or VCM, as described above.

In some implementations, the scroll wheel may be automatically switched to an appropriate mode of operation based on the application and/or interactive content displayed to the user. At a high level of abstraction, software operating on the host computing device (e.g., executed by processor 302) may manage mapping functions (e.g., mapping reconfigurable parameters associated with interactive elements to operating parameters of user-manipulable elements (e.g., scroll wheels) on the input device), as well as computer software running on the host computing device (e.g.,) An interface with a connected input device (e.g., a scroll wheel). Alternatively or additionally, some management may be performed in part by aspects of the respective input devices (e.g., processor 210). From the user's perspective, the user is operable The vertical element may be associated with a graphical element that is closest to a cursor on the display. For example, as the user moves the cursor toward a first graphical element (e.g., a selectable control element), the scroll wheel may be dynamically programmed to control an editable parameter (e.g., font type) associated with the graphical element. Similarly, as the user moves the cursor toward the second selectable control element, the scroll wheel may be automatically and dynamically programmed to control an editable parameter (e.g., volume) associated with the second selectable control element. Alternatively or additionally, associating the user-manipulable object with the editable parameters of the selectable control element may be based on other criteria besides cursor position. For example, the selectable control element may be selected to be associated with a user-manipulable object based on historical usage. Thus, the "most commonly used" selectable control element may be selected regardless of the position of the cursor. Other selection methods are also possible, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, as described above, mode selection may be determined or triggered based on a software event, the current state of the input device (e.g., reaching the bottom of the page), or the content displayed (e.g., the density of text or the size of some object). The following embodiments describe only some of many embodiments that fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 19 is a simplified flowchart 1900 illustrating an example of a content adaptation method for operating a multi-mode input device, according to some embodiments. The operations in flowchart 1900 may be performed by processing logic that may comprise hardware (circuitry, dedicated logic, etc.), software operating on suitable hardware (such as a general purpose computing system or a dedicated machine), firmware (embedded software), or any combination thereof. As shown and described above with reference to fig. 2 and 3, in some embodiments, the operations in flowchart 1900 may be performed by processor(s) 210 of system 200 or processor(s) 302 of system 300.

At block 1910, one or more processors, such as processor(s) 210 of system 200 or processor(s) 302 of system 300, may detect a user interfaceInteractive elements thereon. The user interface may be a graphical window, a virtual desktop, an application, or any image on a display (e.g., display 120) with which a user may interact. The user interface may also be an audio input and/or output device such as a microphone or speaker. In some implementations, the user interface may include a haptic user interface that may detect or generate a motion, vibration, or touch sensation. The interactive elements may include any user interface elements that may be controlled by a user. For example, some interactive elements may include desktop or window-based selectable icons, scroll bars, taskbar elements, labels, text, media players, media player controls (e.g., volume, sound image (pan), bass/treble, media transmission controls, etc.), hyperlinks, and the like. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the many possible types of interactive elements that may be selectable on the user interface. In some implementations, certain interactive elements may not be "selectable" from the current view, but may be nested in various drop-down menus or interfaces. For example, the media player may include different skins (e.g., background images) with selectable skin lists (i.e., interactive elements) buried in nested menus. In this case, the interactive element cannot be immediately selectable in the current view (outside the corresponding menu bar), but can still be detected by a host computing device such as computer 110. In some implementations, software configuring the input device may access particular software operating on the host computing device to determine which elements are included in a particular window. For example, as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, presentation software may be accessed to determine the content (e.g., embedded hyperlinks, spreadsheets, images, etc.) included in each particular slide, which may be readily available and readily accessible. Similarly, photo editing software may be accessed (e.g., ) To determine what selectable control elements (e.g., icons, menus, etc.) are available. It should be appreciated that the description with respect to FIG. 19 is identified as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the artThe various methods of elements of (a) may be applicable to any of the figures, embodiments, systems or methods described herein, etc.

At block 1920, the one or more processors may determine a reconfigurable parameter of the interactive element. The reconfigurable parameters may be any adjustable values, settings, modes of operation, etc. associated with the interactive elements. For example, the interactive elements may be alphanumeric text, and the reconfigurable parameters may include font size, font type, font color, text location (e.g., text may be moved in x and y directions on the display), and so forth. In another example, the media player may be an interactive element and the reconfigurable parameters may include volume, sound image, bass/treble settings, media transmission controls, and the like. In yet another example, the photograph or image frame may be an interactive element, and the reconfigurable parameters may include zoom (magnification), sound image control, brightness, contrast, filter selection, and the like. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate numerous variations, modifications, and alternative implementations of the interactive elements and reconfigurable parameters possible.

At block 1930, the one or more processors may associate an operating parameter of the user-manipulable element on the input device with a reconfigurable parameter of the interactive element. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the user-manipulable elements may include, for example, knobs, buttons, rollers, trackballs, joysticks, sliders, and the like. The input device may include, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, game controls, or a virtual reality controller. The operating parameters may include, for example, rotational resistance (or friction) of the wheel, rotational speed, or rotational sensitivity. One example of associating the operational parameters of the user-manipulable element with the reconfigurable parameters of the interactive element may include: the font size selection of the alphanumeric text, the color of the image, the brightness of the image, or the proportion of the image displayed on the display is correlated to the friction level or friction profile of the scroll wheel on the computer mouse. Examples provided herein may generally describe associating reconfigurable parameters of an interactive element with operating parameters of a single user-manipulable element. In some cases, the same reconfigurable parameters for interactive elements may be associated with different user-manipulable elements based on certain contexts. For example, a volume control on a media player may be associated with the friction of the scroll wheel during typical use, but may be selected to be associated with a slider or touch sensor when the scroll wheel is used for other purposes.

At block 1940, the one or more processors may send control signals to the input device to set an operational mode of the user-manipulable element. The control signal may be used, for example, to set the wheel of the computer mouse to one of one or more ratchet modes, one or more friction modes, and a flywheel mode as described above. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the control signal may be in any suitable format capable of controlling a wheel, such as a computer mouse. The one or more processors may generate the control signals based on properties of the reconfigurable parameters such as desired sensitivity, accuracy, or resolution. Many alterations, modifications and alternative embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. In some implementations, the operations at blocks 1930 and 1940 may be performed in a single step to generate and send control signals to associate reconfigurable parameters with both user-manipulable elements, and to set the mode of operation of the user-manipulable elements.

At block 1950, the one or more processors may receive a value of the detected operating parameter of the user-manipulable element as a result of a user manipulation of the user-manipulable element. For example, when the wheel of a computer mouse is set to a ratchet mode, the level of friction of the wheel during operation of the wheel by a user rotating the wheel may be detected and sent to one or more processors. As another example, when the scroll wheel is set to a flywheel mode or a friction mode, data indicative of user manipulation or rotational speed of the scroll wheel may be sent to one or more processors.

At block 1960, the one or more processors may then change the reconfigurable parameters of the interactive element based on the received values of the operating parameters of the user-manipulable element. For example, when a user manipulates a user-manipulable element (e.g., a scroll wheel), font size, display size, color, brightness, viewing angle of an image, volume of a speaker, etc., may be reconfigured or modified based on a received value of an operating parameter (e.g., friction). In this way, the user can configure the reconfigurable parameters of the interactive element by manipulating the input device.

It should be appreciated that the particular operations described with respect to fig. 19 provide a particular method for assigning functions to user-manipulable elements on an input device according to some embodiments. Other sequences of operations may also be performed in accordance with alternative implementations. For example, alternative embodiments may perform the operations outlined above in a different order. Further, the individual blocks shown in fig. 19 may include a plurality of sub-blocks, which may be executed in various orders as appropriate. Furthermore, additional operations may be added or removed depending on the particular application.

Fig. 20 is a graph 2000 showing test results for twelve roller samples operating in flywheel mode, according to some embodiments. The test results show the angular velocity of each sample over time after the externally applied force is removed. The x-axis of the graph 2000 corresponds to the run time after the externally applied force is removed. The y-axis of plot 2000 corresponds to angular velocity (in rad/s) at the time point of measurement. Each point corresponds to a data point. Each thin line 2010 shows the trend of the angular velocity loss of each corresponding sample over time. Line 2020 shows the trend of the average angular velocity loss over time for 12 samples. Line 2030 shows an example specification of the flywheel mode.

In the test shown in FIG. 20, the initial angular velocity after the externally applied force is removed is about 1500rpm or about 157rad/s. Based on the test results, the angular deceleration of twelve roller samples in flywheel mode may be determined. The minimum angular deceleration is about 56rpm/s (or about 5.9 rad/s) ² ) The maximum angular deceleration is about 115rpm/s (or about 11.8 rad/s) ² ) And an average angular deceleration of about 75rpm/s (or about 7.7 rad/s) ² ). The deceleration specification of the wheel sample in flywheel mode may be set to, for example, about 250rpm/s (or about 26.2rad/s ² ) Or about 500rpm/s (or about 52 rad/s) ² )。

In addition, the braking torque of twelve roller samples in flywheel mode is determined. The minimum braking torque was about 0.007mNm, the maximum braking torque was about 0.014mNm, and the average braking torque was about 0.009mNm. The brake torque specification of the roller sample in flywheel mode may be set to, for example, about 0.03mNm or about 0.05mNm.

The rotational energy loss characteristics of twelve roller samples in flywheel mode were also measured. Table 1 shows the rotational energy of the sample at different angular velocities, the time taken to reach different angular velocities from the initial angular velocity (e.g., 157.1 rad/s), and the rotational energy loss rate in J/s. Table 2 shows the rotational energy loss rate in%/s. The results in table 2 indicate that the average rotational energy loss rate is about 10% per second, where the rotational energy loss rate specification may be set to, for example, about 30% per second or about 60% per second.

TABLE 1 kinetic energy loss Rate

ωi

157.1

130.9

104.7

78.5

52.4

0.0

[rad/s]

Rotational energy

1.45E-02

1.00E-02

6.43E-03

3.62E-03

1.61E-03

0.00E+00

[J]

Δti specification

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

6.0

[s]

Δti average

0.0

2.8

6.0

9.6

13.9

20.3

[s]

Δti sample (minimum)

0.0

4.0

7.8

12.8

18.2

26.6

[s]

Δti sample (maximum)

0.0

1.7

3.7

5.8

9.0

13.3

[s]

P _{Loss_specification}

-4.42E-03

-4.02E-03

-3.62E-03

-3.21E-03

-2.41E-03

[J/s]

P _{Loss_average}

-1.58E-03

-1.34E03

-1.13E-03

-9.22E-04

-7.12E-04

[J/s]

P _{Minimum loss_sample}

-1.10E-03

-1.03E-03

-8.50E-04

-7.05E-04

-5.43E-04

[J/s]

P _{Maximum loss_sample}

-2.56E-03

-2.15E-03

-1.88E-03

-1.42E-03

-1.09E-03

[J/s]

Table 2 percent rotational energy loss per second

Numerous specific details are set forth herein to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed subject matter. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the claimed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, devices, or systems known by those of ordinary skill have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the claimed subject matter. The various embodiments shown and described are provided as examples only to illustrate the various features of the claims. However, the features illustrated and described with respect to any given embodiment are not necessarily limited to the associated embodiment and may be used or combined with other embodiments illustrated and described. Furthermore, the claims are not intended to be limited to any one example embodiment.

While the present subject matter has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing may readily produce alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to such embodiments. Accordingly, it should be understood that the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of example and not limitation, and does not preclude inclusion of such modifications, variations and/or additions to the present subject matter as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Indeed, the methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form of the methods and systems described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosure.

Although the present disclosure provides certain example embodiments and applications, other embodiments, including embodiments that do not provide all of the features and advantages set forth herein, that are apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art are also within the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the disclosure is intended to be limited only by reference to the appended claims.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, it is appreciated that throughout the description, discussions utilizing terms such as "processing," "computing," "calculating," "determining," and "identifying" or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computing device, such as one or more computers or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical electronic or magnetic quantities within the computing device's memories, registers or other information storage, transmission or display devices.

The one or more systems discussed herein are not limited to any particular hardware architecture or configuration. The computing device may include any suitable arrangement of components that provides results conditioned on one or more inputs. Suitable computing devices include a multi-function microprocessor-based computer system that accesses stored software that programs or configures the computing system from a general-purpose computing device to a special-purpose computing device that implements one or more embodiments of the present subject matter. The teachings contained herein may be implemented in software for programming or configuring a computing device using any suitable programming, scripting, or other type of language or combination of languages.

Embodiments of the methods disclosed herein may be performed in the operation of such computing devices. The order of the blocks presented in the above examples may be varied-e.g., the blocks may be reordered, combined, and/or divided into sub-blocks. Some blocks or processes may be performed in parallel.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, conditional language used herein is for example "capable of", "possible", "can", "such as" etc. or otherwise understood in the context as used, e.g., among others, generally intended to express that certain examples include certain features, elements and/or steps while other examples do not include certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply: one or more examples may require features, elements, and/or steps in any way or one or more examples must include logic to decide whether such features, elements, and/or steps are included or to be performed in any particular example with or without author input or prompting.

The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and the like are synonymous and are used in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations, etc. Furthermore, the term "or" is used in its inclusive sense (rather than in its exclusive sense) such that when used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term "or" means one, some, or all of the elements in the list. The use of "adapted" or "configured to" herein is intended to mean an open and inclusive language that does not exclude devices adapted or configured to perform additional tasks or steps. In addition, the use of "based on" is intended to be open and inclusive in that a process, step, calculation, or other action "based on" one or more of the stated conditions or values may in fact be based on additional conditions or values other than those stated. Similarly, use of "at least in part based on" is intended to be open and inclusive in that a process, step, calculation, or other action that is "based at least in part on" one or more of the stated conditions or values may in fact be based on additional conditions or values other than those stated. Headings, lists, and numbers included herein are for ease of illustration only and are not meant to be limiting.

The various features and processes described above may be used independently of each other or may be used in various combinations. All possible combinations and subcombinations are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. Additionally, in some implementations, certain methods or process blocks may be omitted. The methods and processes described herein are also not limited to any particular sequence, and the blocks or states associated therewith may be performed in other orders as appropriate. For example, the blocks or states described may be performed in a different order than specifically disclosed, or multiple blocks or states may be combined in a single block or state. Example blocks or states may be executed serially, in parallel, or in some other manner. Blocks or states may be added to or removed from the disclosed examples. Similarly, the example systems and components described herein may be configured differently than described. For example, elements may be added, removed, or rearranged as compared to the disclosed examples.

Claims

1. An interface device, comprising:

a displacement sensor configured to detect movement of the interface device relative to a work surface;

A wheel member configurable to rotate about an axle in a plurality of modes of operation, each mode of operation being associated with a respective unique friction force profile;

wherein the wheel member comprises a plurality of annular regions on a side surface of the wheel member, the plurality of annular regions being arranged in a radial direction of the wheel member, wherein:

a first region of the plurality of annular regions includes a plurality of teeth; and

a second region of the plurality of annular regions has a planar surface; and

an actuator assembly configured to set the wheel member to each of the plurality of modes of operation, wherein the actuator assembly comprises:

a slider configured to move in a radial direction of the wheel member; and

a contact ball coupled to the slider by a spring, wherein the contact ball is configured to contact the first region when the slider is in a first position aligned with the first region, and wherein the contact ball is configured to contact the second region when the slider is in a second position aligned with the second region,

wherein the plurality of modes of operation includes a flywheel mode and at least two additional modes, the at least two additional modes including:

Two or more different ratchet modes;

two or more different constant friction modes; or alternatively

At least one constant friction mode and at least one ratchet mode.

2. The interface device of claim 1, wherein in the flywheel mode, the wheel member is configured to decelerate at a rate of less than 500rpm per second.

3. The interface device of claim 1, wherein in the flywheel mode, the wheel member is configured to lose less than 30% of total rotational energy per second.

4. The interface device of claim 1, wherein in the flywheel mode, the wheel member is configured to receive a braking torque of less than 0.05 millinewton meters.

5. The interface device of claim 1, wherein:

in each of the two or more constant friction modes or the at least one constant friction mode, a friction force application assembly applies a constant friction force to the wheel member;

in the flywheel mode, the friction force application assembly does not apply friction force to the wheel member; and

in each of the two or more ratchet modes or the at least one ratchet mode, the respective unique friction profile comprises a plurality of periodic segments.

6. The interface device of claim 5, wherein in one of the two or more ratchet modes or the at least one ratchet mode, the plurality of periodic segments comprises 50 or more periodic segments.

7. The interface device of claim 5, wherein in each of the two or more ratchet modes or the at least one ratchet mode, the respective unique friction profile comprises a triangle wave, a parabola, a sine wave, a square wave, an ascending ramp, or a descending ramp.

8. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the actuator assembly comprises a direct current motor, a servo motor, a stepper motor, a solenoid, a voice coil motor, or a linear motor.

9. The interface device of claim 1, wherein:

a third region of the plurality of annular regions has a lower surface than the planar surface of the second region; and

the contact ball is configured to: the slider is separated from the third region when in a third position aligned with the third region.